Battery Than Can Produce Utility-Scale Power

Think of an aluminum plant running in reverse, generating electricity instead of consuming it.

That's the concept behind a new stationary battery large enough to produce utility-scale power, a technology being developed by MIT Professor David Sadoway.

The battery produces power by making a sandwich out of 2 layers of liquid metal alloy with a layer of a salt in between, and then placing the entire sandwich in an electrolyte. Ions flow from one metal layer through the electrolyte to the other layer, generating electricity. The whole system is maintained at 700° C.

Sadoway's project has already received a grant of nearly $7 million over 5 years from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E. Soon after that, the French oil company Total announced a $4-million research agreement with MIT to jointly develop a smaller version of the battery.

In its press release announcing the grant for the battery (along with names of other grant recipients), ARPA-E said:

If successful, this battery technology could revolutionize the way electricity is used and produced on the grid...

Massive Gains Possible from Energy Efficiency, Says McKinsey & Co.

There is a McKinsey report out that shows the potential savings of non-transportation energy in the U.S. simply through efficiency.

According to the report, we could (emphasis mine):

reduce annual non-transportation energy consumption by roughly 23 percent by 2020, eliminating more than $1.2 trillion in waste – well beyond the $520 billion upfront investment (not including program costs) that would be required. The reduction in energy use would also result in the abatement of 1.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually – the equivalent of taking the entire U.S. fleet of passenger vehicles and light trucks off the roads.

For a pdf copy of the report's executive summary, click here.

For the full 165-page report, click here.

Sustainable Packaging Using Bioplastics

Just about everything we buy is covered in plastic packaging at some stage of its production cycle. With oil prices rising and consumer demand for sustainable packages growing, companies are turning their attention to packaging made out of bioplastics.

The benefit of bioplastics is, of course, that they degrade in the environment.

As the video below explains, bioplastics can be made from a range of plants such as sugarcane, wheat, tapioca, potato and soy.

Using vegetable products in packaging, however, means they have to be diverted from the food supply — which could lead to food shortages and higher prices. So chemical manufacturers are also looking into making bioplastics out of agricultural waste.

Plastic Solar Cells Provide Light in Villages Lacking Electricity

Photovoltaic solar cells have long been seen as the most efficient source of inexpensive lighting in rural villages that lack electricity.

Now a scientist at Denmark's Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy has built a lamp made of a flexible plastic sheet on which are embedded a photovoltaic (PV) solar cell, an LED light source, a lithium battery, a diode and copper circuitry.

The rectangular plastic sheet is about the size of an overhead-projector transparency (yes, they still exist). Snapping together the fasteners on two corners of the sheet results in a funnel-shaped structure that produces directional light.

The solar PV cell charges the lithium battery during the day so the battery can power the LED bulbs at night. The cell is made of organic polymers and carbon nanostructures. It is inexpensive to produce but converts only 1% to 2% of the energy falling on it to electricity.

Sure, the light is dim, but the price ($27 for now) is about half what a villager would pay for a year's worth of kerosene to fuel an existing lamp. Each plastic sheet/lamp would last for a year. After all, you can flex a plastic sheet only so many times before it cracks.

Frederik Krebs, the lamp's inventor, hopes to start selling them this year. The market consists of 1.5 billion people in villages in Asia, Africa and Latin America that don't have electricity. Many of these places are so inaccessible they may never be on the grid.

If you were wondering whether an ordinary battery-powered lamp might not cost less, the answer is no. The batteries would run out after about 20 hours, which means each customer would have to buy hundreds of batteries to keep the lamp lit for a few hours every night of the year.

Internet's Power Usage Could Be Reduced 99.9%

Smarter data coding could cut the energy used by the world's data networks 99.9% by 2015.

The New Scientist reports that Bell Labs has launched a coalition of information and communications industry experts called Green Touch. The consortium has the vision of "significantly reducing the carbon footprint of ICT [information and communications technology] devices, platforms and networks."

Smarter Coding Cuts Through Noise

Green Touch members have identified many approaches to cutting energy use by data communications networks:

• Today's networks use high levels of power to rise above the noise inherent in communications channels. Bell Labs plans to develop low-power networks by implementing a code that detects low-power signals and ignores the noise.
  
  
• An MIT engineer is looking at ways to bundle data traveling over similar routes, which will reduce traffic on trunk routes that consume large amounts of power.
  
  
• A professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia, will consider "ways to make modems and phones go into a sleep mode when not in use — but from which they can wake up quickly."
  
  
• Other efforts will focus on power savings in memory and displays, and on changing user behavior.

Generating the power for our telephone, internet and cell phone networks releases 300 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year, says the head of research for Bell Labs. That's equal to the emissions from 50 million cars, or one of every 5 cars registered in the U.S.

Imagine the reduction in air pollution if 99.9% of those cars — or 49.95 million cars — were taken off the road.

Smog Standard Strengthened By EPA

The EPA is proposing to steeply lower the existing standard for emissions of particles that cause ground-level ozone, better known as smog.

According to the EPA, "Ground-level ozone forms when emissions from industrial facilities, power plants, landfills and motor vehicles react in the sun."

Under the proposed "primary" smog standard, emissions would be limited to between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million (ppm) in eight hours. A separate "secondary" standard would vary with the seasons and protect plants and trees. The agency did not say what this standard would be.

The new smog standard replaces the 0.075 ppm limit the agency set in March 2008.

The agency estimates that implementing the new smog standard would cost industry $19 billion to $90 billion. But its benefits to human health would range from $13 billion to $100 billion, mainly from reduced premature deaths, aggravated asthma and bronchitis cases, and hospital and emergency room visits. Another benefit to society from the lower smog standard: fewer people missing work and school days because of ozone-related symptoms.

“Smog in the air we breathe poses a very serious health threat, especially to children and individuals suffering from asthma and lung disease. It dirties our air, clouds our cities, and drives up our health care costs across the country,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Using the best science to strengthen these standards is a long overdue action that will help millions of Americans breathe easier and live healthier.”

Children are at the greatest risk from ozone, the agency said, because their lungs are still developing, they are most likely to be active outdoors, and they are more likely than adults to have asthma.

The public may comment on the smog standards for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register.

According to the New York Times, under the current smog standard of 0.075 ppm,

322 counties of the 675 that monitor ozone levels are out of compliance. If the 0.070 limit is adopted, 515 counties would be out of compliance. Only 15 of the 675 monitored counties now meet the 0.060 standard.

The Times reports that the agency expects to issue a final rule in August. The new rules would be phased in between 2014 and 2031.

Coal Fly Ash Spill in TVA Greater Than Waste Released in All U.S. Rivers

The coal fly ash spilled at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston power plant on Dec. 22, 2008, carried toxic metals like arsenic, mercury and barium.

According to data from the EPA, the amount of metal in that one spill exceeded what was released into rivers by power plants throughout the country during the entire year.

The EPA estimated that 2.66 million lbs. (1.2 million kg) of 10 toxic metals flowed into the Emory River.

Meanwhile, area residents filed hundreds of lawsuits against the TVA before the 1-year deadline expired for personal injury claims.

Paper or Plastic Shopping Bags? In D.C., That'll Be an Extra Nickel, Please

Washington, D.C., has started imposing a 5 cent fee on plastic and paper bags at businesses that sell food or liquor. The fee went into effect on Jan. 1, 2010.

The extra charge on each bag is expected to generate $3.6 million for the city in its first year. Three to four cents of each nickel collected will be spent to clean up the Anacostia River.

Reactions from D.C. residents ranged from enthusiasm to incredulity.

The Washington Post says it's one of the toughest measures in the country. Neighboring states Maryland and Virginia may introduce similar laws this year.

Last year, Seattle residents voted against a 20-cent per bag tax.

Could a similar tax be coming to your city or state? Maybe. Sometimes, an avalanche begins with one pebble rolling down the hill.

Large Dams Lead to More Rainfall

Photo: ClaudioT.

From the Things You Never Thought Of dept.: Dams lead to higher rainfall and more floods.

Scientists from the Tennessee Technological University and the University of Colorado, Boulder, explain why large dams bring more rain.

First, the reservoir behind the dam produces excessive evaporation that falls to the earth as rain. This seems obvious.

But what's more, says the Newsweek article that reported on the finding, "dams increase atmospheric instabilities in the vertical profile of temperature and humidity."

The increased instability "enhances the amount of convective energy in the air above the reservoir." That means more thunderstorms of greater intensity than before. That, in turn, means higher and more frequent floods than engineers had calculated when they built the dam.

And that, say the scientists, "...raises concerns about dam safety."

Solar Power Financing for Consumers: PACE, PPA, Lease

Putting a solar power system on your roof can get expensive. You're usually talking five figures at least.

But solar companies and governments have devised a number of financing options for rooftop solar systems that require little or no upfront payment and may cost you less per month than your electric bill. Here are outlines of 3 programs for consumers:

PACE

PACE, or Property Assessed Clean Energy, is a program that allows a homeowner to pay for solar power installations through their property tax. The cost of the solar system is amortized over 20 years at a reduced interest rate and tacked on to the tax bill.

The property tax attaches to the house, not the homeowner. If the owner sells the house, the buyer inherits the solar power system and the higher property tax.

For more on how PACE works, click here.

PPA

In a PPA, or Power Purchase Agreement, a solar power company installs solar panels on a house's roof, usually at little or no cost to the property owner. The company holds title to the panels. The property owner simply pays the company for the solar electricity, usually at a fixed rate lower than that of the utility.

Most solar providers offer PPAs only to commercial building owners. A commercial building typically belongs to the same landlord for several decades, which makes it good candidate for long-term agreements. For a guide to PPAs for organizations, click here (pdf).

At least one company, San Francisco-based SunRun, offers homeowners PPAs with a "small installation fee" upfront. There may be others — check in your area.

Leasing

Just as you lease a car, you can lease the solar panels on your roof. A California company called SolarCity now markets solar system leases.

The concept is simple: Instead of getting all your electricity from the grid, you get some of it from your leased panels. Which means your utility bill shrinks. And if your monthly lease payment and lower electric bill are less than the amount you paid the utility when you got all your power from them, then leasing has saved you money.

At the end of the lease, you can return the panels, upgrade them or renew the lease — just like with your car lease.